As I write this in the first week of December it has been about 7 1/2 weeks since hurricane Milton sent a devastating salt water storm surge across our beautiful barrier island of Manasota Key. Of course we take […]
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As I write this 40 days after hurricane Milton devastated my home on Manasota Key, FL, the long difficult job of recovery among the human population is well underway but will continue for years. The animals and plants […]
As I began to make preparations to drive from my NC Haw River Preserve to FL, ominous reports about hurricane Milton hitting SW FL on Oct. 9, 2024, were in the news. The predominant natural event at our NC […]
In late September many interesting changes in natural history are underway signaling the end to summer and the upcoming fall and winter. The fancy word for such changes with plants is “phenology,” the seasonal variation in flower […]
Although some people prefer not to revisit a place they have been before I find that repeated visits to the same natural areas are almost always interesting. Weather conditions vary as do the seasons, and animals and plants undergo […]
After a massive flood following tropical storm Debbie in early August, it has been a relief to have the river return to its base flow level around 2-3 feet. But the mud and debris extending far up into the flood […]
When you live on the banks of a sizeable river the paramount determining factors in its local flow are generally the upstream river height stage and seasonal factors that influence it. Recently a tropical storm (Debbie) came roaring out of […]
I always tell people on my nature walks that they should strive for two things in studying the overwhelming biodiversity of our complex habitats. First they should attempt to learn the basic species of plants and animals (a difficult job […]
Well the heat and humidity are really settling in now that June is over and summer is here for real. Outdoor activities are best carried out in early morning and early evening but the oppressive weather does not seem to […]
June is somewhat of a transition between Spring and Summer. Here in the Piedmont of NC the nights are still cool and the midafternoons can be hot, but as the sun sets the temperature is cool again. As I sit […]
I continue to be intrigued and intellectually challenged by the natural events transpiring in our 48 acres of woodlands along the Haw River in the Piedmont region of NC. The middle lot of three I bought was kept uncut for […]
We arrived back in NC from our six months stay in SW FL the end of April. Early Spring nature happenings are long finished but there are many interesting ecological events in process. The river itself at a low base […]
We continue to have some very beautiful sunrises and this was the view April 6 from my bedroom window. It is hard to get up on the “wrong side of bed” when this panorama is in front […]
Now that we are clearly into springtime (I am writing this on March 26 with spring arriving March 19), various new natural events are occurring that mark the warming temperatures. The blooming of lupines and tar flowers […]
In many parts of Florida fire is considered to be the major factor that determines the types of habitats that county, state and federal land managers hope to maintain. While there is some truth to this notion, […]
Spring is of course an astronomical phenomenon but in eastern N America we think of it more as an event announced by the flowering of certain woodland ephemeral plants or the calls of breeding frogs. But of course it is […]
You might think that mid-winter in SW FL would be rather bleak but such is not the case. Although few native flowers are blooming, insect pollinators are scarce, and birds are limited to permanent and winter residents, there are still […]
Sunrises are each different and I never tire of watching the sun come up across Lemon Bay beyond our dock. A complex combination of clouds/weather and atmospheric dust determine the colors and intensity, but do not blink or you […]
In middle January we have had some very cool nights and windy days as weather fronts approach and pass by. This has a significant effect on animals that must be warm to forage such as most butterflies, and on […]
With all the talk about global warming and sea level rise it was interesting to have a very high tide on the morning of Dec. 17, 2023. The photos of our backyard and dock underwater and a flooded […]